How will congestion pricing affect drivers in Queens?

NEW YORK - For drivers in Queens, the looming start of congestion pricing has left some people saying the new $9 toll to a wall that has been placed around parts of Manhattan.

With over 400,000 vehicles registered in Queens, more than any other borough, and public transportation options limited, many residents say driving is just an essential part of day-to-day life. 

For instance, a trip from College Point to Columbus Circle driving during rush hour takes around 45 minutes, but public transit could turn that trip into an hour and a half, requiring two buses and a train.

For Queens residents like Marie, who spoke with FOX 5, the toll feels like just another expense in an already expensive city.

"All that money is just for the city, it's not for us," she said.

According to her and others like her, the congestion pricing plan simply doesn't consider the realities for drivers in the borough, particularly in neighborhoods with few subway lines.

MTA’s Vision vs. Residents’ Frustrations

The MTA plans to use toll revenue to modernize the city’s transit system. However, Queens drivers feel the immediate impact of the toll will disproportionately affect them, which rely heavily on the Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Queensboro Bridge—both gateways to the congestion pricing zone.

The MTA says the toll revenue will help modernize transit across the city.